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Over the last year tens of thousands of people have been arrested in Egypt – many of them for belonging to the now outlawed Muslim Brotherhood - but some for simply protesting in the streets. The courts are now bursting at the seams. Human rights activists have accused the judicial system itself of breaking the law.

Claire Read has spent the last six months following the case of Yara, a young woman who works for a respected human rights organization. Yara was arrested by plain clothed policemen who accused her of taking part in an illegal protest. She denied this, saying she just happened to be in the vicinity, buying water from a kiosk.

As Claire follows Yara’s sometimes chaotic and confusing case, she tries to get to grips with how Egypt’s justice system operates under the new government of President Sisi.

Producer: John Murphy

Hamza Namira – Tesmahy
Youssra El Hawary – Fil Sharea

(Photo: Egyptians protest on anniversary of 2011 uprising. Credit: European Photopress Agency)